This invention relates to an apparatus and a method for automatically infusing a liquid, e.g. wine, juice, etc., into vessels or receptacles and particularly a method using a novel infusion nozzle apparatus capable of rapid infusion of a liquid into vessels.
A liquid infusion apparatus having been recently developed and known to me comprises, generally, a plurality of, say 6-12, nozzles suspending in a side-by-side relationship to each other from a reservoir holding a liquid to be infused, and a conveyor system beneath the nozzles to carry the vessels for transportation of the latter both in the horizontal and vertical directions. In the known liquid infusion apparatus, the conveyor system is adapted to transport empty vessels in the horizontal direction right beneath the nozzles and then ascend the same upwards to a level where the distal portions of the nozzles are positioned in the interiors of vessels. The infusion nozzles each include valve means which are actuated open by suitable means as the distal portions of the nozzles are present in the vessel interiors, which allows a liquid in the reservoir to thence flow by gravity into the vessels through the canals of nozzles. When a determined amount of liquid has been infused, the nozzle valves just mentioned are closed and the conveyor system operates to draw the nozzles out of the vessel interiors, thus completing the infusing operation.
In the known liquid infusion apparatus described above, any other propelling power than gravity is not applied to a liquid to be infused. This may be advantageous in the light of cost because hydraulic or pneumatic means for pressurizing the liquid reservoir are not present, but is disadvantageous in calling for a substantial length of time to pass the liquid through the nozzles. Provision of such hydraulic or pneumatic means as above mentioned is not practical in order to overcome the last mentioned disadvantage.
It is critical that air in the interiors of the vessels to be filled be relieved while the infusion operation is being performed. To this end, the infusion nozzle apparatus has an air relief conduit extending in an air space above the liquid level in the reservoir. The distal end opening of the relief conduit is located in or adjacent an outlet of the nozzle through which a liquid to be infused is poured out. Accordingly, a liquid to be infused is likely to enter and close the relief conduit, thus resulting in interrupting the infusion operation. This problem is particularly often encountered when any highly viscous liquid, such as, e.g., nectar, etc. is infused. Further, the liquid entering the relief conduit often carries dregs or any suspended solids into the relief conduit and the solids are gradually accumulated therein in the course of a number of or a substantial duration of infusion operation, until the relief conduit is thereby closed to a degree to adversely influence efficiency of the infusion operation or is entirely closed to interrupt the infusion operation. Accumulated solids have to be removed therefrom by a rinsing or cleaning operation for restoring of operation of infusion.
Cleaning or rinsing operation is further necessary when the nozzles are desired to be used for infusion of a different kind of liquid from that previously thereby infused. In this case, the cleaning or rinsing operation may be performed expeditiously in view of installation, by charging a rinsing medium in a reservoir and allowing the same to flow through the nozzles by the same procedures as the infusion operation. This, however, disadvantageously entails actuation of the valves in the nozzles which in turn is linked to elevation of the vessels or conveyor system beneath the nozzles, so that soiled solution from the rinsing operation is unavoidably received in the vessels on the conveyor. It is quite apparently disadvantageous that the rinsing medium is allowed to simply flow through the nozzles by gravitational force and accordingly at a low pressure, taking a long time period.